New Home Source Blog

10 cool new products for your home from the International Builders Show.

2011-02-07T10:26:31-06:00

Thousands of home builders from around the world traveled to Orlando for a look at the latest building products and appliances that will be available soon. Products that enable green living and sustainability were everywhere, along with those that make life easier for America’s aging Baby Boomers.

We searched acres and acres of convention floor space looking for new ideas. And we toured a number of show homes, too. The International Builders Show, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, is a great place to find innovations for the home. They might not yet be at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot, but they will be on the market soon. Here are 10 nifty products and ideas:

1. Moen unveiled a sleek line of bathroom products called its 90 Degree Collection — faucets and bath accessories in a minimalist design with 90 degree angle lines.

2. GE displayed washers with its “Overnight Ready” feature. The washer will spin the clothes in an overnight process and render them dry and wrinkle free in the morning.

3. Synthetic roofing tiles from DaVinci are made from polymer that looks like slate. The manufacturer touts its solar reflectivity and ability to keep the attic cooler.

4. It’s a bathroom exhaust fan, a ceiling light and a night light. NuTone’snew LunAura has it all. The LED night light casts a soothing blue tone that won’t disturb others late at night.

5. Eaton Pow-R-Station can be wall-mounted for residential or commercial garages, or it can be installed as a free-standing pedestal for outdoor use. Eaton says the device can charge up a car in three hours.

6. Kohler introduced the Lawnfield line of cast-iron kitchen sinks that are tough – and guaranteed not to chip, crack or burn. Made of 93 percent recycled and reclaimed materials.

7. The PorcherSolutions wall-mounted Dual Flush Toilet from American Standard, offering the choice of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or ultra low consumption of 0.8 gpf

8. Solar power can get you a hot shower every morning. VeluxAmerica used two of its solar collectors to power a water heater at the Builder magazine concept home.

9. The ODL Tubular Skylight directs outdoor light into your home from outdoors. If it gets too bright, no problem. With the new ODL Solar Powered Dimmer, consumers can install an ODL Tubular Skylight wherever they desire since the amount of light received can be controlled day or night.

10. The Delta Wind Energy 8-foot-tall wind turbine will spin off 1,000 watts of power in a 28-mph wind.

Get more information on new features and products featured at the builder show by clicking here:
http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-06-11-10-cool-new-products-for-your-home-from-the-international-builders-show/

Home Buying Disclosure

2011-01-28T15:22:12-06:00

Home sellers are legally obligated to disclose any problems with the home to potential buyers. Not knowing whether a home has a history of flood damage, termites or a leaky roof could be an unforeseen nightmare for new home owners. That's why it's so important to receive a quality home inspection from an independent contractor before signing an agreement. Many buyers leverage these expected issues to reduce the cost of the house citing the additional investment they'll need to repair the home.

With a new home, buyers don't have these same concerns. There is no mystery to the history of the house or how it was treated by previous homeowners. There is no added cost associated with the home or hours spent on Do It Yourself projects. Moving is stressful enough, much less moving into a home you know needs work.

In addition to peace of mind, most home builders offer structural warranties protecting home buyers from any unforeseen issues in the construction of the home. This can save a home buyer thousands of dollars and they know who to turn to if a problem occurs.

I'd encourage an independent home inspection before moving into any home. However, having a resource and warranty can mean a lot if issues due arise.

5 Tips for Checking Your Credit Report Before Buying a Home

2011-01-26T12:02:33-06:00

Great post from DoorFly.com on checking your Credit Report Before Buying a Home.

Before you can really begin looking for a home to purchase, it is important to determine how much you will be able to borrow. This will prevent you from spending time looking at homes that do not fit into your mortgage budget. Below are items bankers look at in determining the amount of funds they will loan you for a home purchase.

1. Monthly Income
2. Monthly Housing Expense
3. Other Monthly Expenses
4. Ratio of Debt to Income
5. Calculating your loan payment

View the full story here.

Survey: What Green Building Features Improve Resale Value?

2011-01-25T12:46:49-06:00

The emergence of the ‘Green Home’ has big benefits for homebuyers, greatly reducing the energy consumed and the cost to heat and/or cool their homes. It’s often much more cost effective to implement energy saving features in newly-built homes than to retrofit an existing house. This creates a unique point of distinction for today’s homes compared to those built as recently as 5 or 10 years ago.

We know green energy features help reduce the overall cost of ownership. NewHomeSource.com, the leading resource for consumers to select a new home, was curious to see which green energy features consumers think will have the greatest impact on the resale value of their home. NewHomeSource.com conducted an online survey nationally across the site asking consumer’s opinion on some of the most popular green energy features in today’s new homes. Almost 40% of respondents cited solar panels as having the greatest impact on the resale value of their new home with tankless water heaters (23%) and energy efficient appliances (18%) ranking second and third. Low-E windows (14%) and Icynene Insulation (7%) ranked last in terms of perceived resale value.

Solar Panels
Solar panels have long been an attractive way to reduce the energy consumption of a home. Not only do solar panels reduce the reliance on outside power providers but the energy generated can often be sold back to the power company. However, the cost to purchase and install a new solar system can be expensive and difficult to justify, often requiring several years before homeowners can expect to see a return on investment. With new homes, the cost is factored into the construction of the home. Lennar and many other builders have begun developing new ‘solar communities’ where solar power is a standard feature and ready for use at the time of move in. According to the American Solar Energy Society, “A solar electric system compares very favorably with other home improvements in percentage of cost recovered. Often, a solar system can recover much more than 100% of its cost, and this percentage actually increases overtime as electric rates rise.” In addition to the energy savings, solar panels constructed with the homes ascetics in mind can have a visible and positive impression on future home buyers. They can literally see this is a green energy home, providing long-term benefits for them as well.

Tankless Water Heaters
Did you know that up to 20% of a home’s energy cost can be spent on the water heater? Tankless water heaters are a new alternative, offering efficiency and comfort for homeowners. Instead of a large 50-60 gallon tank that heats and stores the water, tankless water heaters user extreme heat to raise the water temperature as it passes though the pipes. The result is that homeowners have instant and continuous hot water. Tankless heaters last approximately twice as long as traditional tanks and provide energy savings by using less water and reduced power consumption by only heating water when it is needed. Conversely, tankless water do require large amounts of heat to meet the needs of the home. I had considered retrofitting my home with a tankless water heater but found I’d need to upgrade my gas lines to handle the additional BTU’s. This became cost prohibitive in my house, but is easy to incorporate in new construction. While tankless water heaters definitely provide assurance you’ll never run out of hot water, they can require more energy to power, partially offsetting potential energy savings.

Energy Efficient Appliances
With newly-built homes, everything is new--including home appliances. Kitchens are outfitted with new refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers, often from a series of design options the consumer controls. More and more builders are offering Energy Star appliances in their Design Center, helping customers select attractive and energy efficient appliances. EnergyStar is a government-backed regulatory program that identifies products that help reduce greenhouse emissions and use energy more efficiently. Homeowners will benefit from reduced power consumption. By investing in upgraded appliances wisely, you may also be able to increase the resale value of your new home, too, since appliances are a major focal point for homebuyers.

Low-E Windows
Low-E window is a proven technology that can be easily be overlooked when considering energy savings. Low E glass works by reflecting heat utilizing a thin metallic coating on or in the glass. The coating helps reflect infrared light which can heat the interior of a home. Low-E windows are gaining in popularity; recently the Department of Energy has been promoting Low-E windows for both new and resale homes. A report issued by EnergyStar.gov states, “Based on recent trends for improved efficiency, high-performance windows are expected to become standard practice for the building industry. Since it is both difficult and costly to replace windows after a house is built, it is best to install high-performance products during construction.”

Icynene Insulation
NewHomeSource consumers ranked Icynene Insulation has having the lowest perceived contributing factor to a home’s resale value, however don’t under-estimate the potential savings. Just as solar panels have a visual impact on prospective homebuyers, well insulated walls may be overlooked when factoring the value of a home. Well insulated walls play a critical role in a home’s efficiency. Icynene Spray Foam and other new types of insulation are allowing homebuilders to construct better insulated and quieter homes. Unlike traditional insulation, Icynene is spray foam that expands as it dries. The expansion allows the foam to fill small cracks that otherwise would allow air, moisture and heat to pass into the home. While Icynene Insulated walls may not have the same glamorous appeal as solar panels, according to EnergyStar, a house sealed to their standards can save up to 20% on heating and cooling cost.

Today, many builders offer Energy Star Certified Homes designed to meet rigorous government standards for energy efficiency without compromising quality. These features make new ‘green’ homes an attractive and often more cost effective purchase than remodeling an existing home. Green products vary by homebuilder, community and your climate region, but many consumers will see dramatic differences in their monthly energy bills by taking advantage of these new features. And when the time comes to sell their home, they’ll be able to continue to reap the benefits of today’s green technology.

The Real Estate Drive By

2011-01-25T11:12:53-06:00

I don’t even want to think of how much gas I spent cruising neighborhoods looking at houses for sale. Like most people we started our home search online building a list of prospects that met our price and location needs. But the online listing only told part of the story; we needed to see for ourselves. What did the neighborhood look like? Did the listing photos match the property? How’s the street traffic?

The same can be said about New Homes. Most people want to see for themselves and get a feel for the home. If you’re shopping for a new homes I encourage you to visit the model home and talk to the sales agent. They can share with the various plans and design options available. They’ll have unique insight about the builder, the community and what makes them different. Instead of driving around viewing homes from the outside wandering if you should schedule an appointment, you can talk with a knowledgeable agent. Walk the home and discuss touch the features.

When visiting a model home, come with questions. Ask them about options and what features are standard and which are upgrades. Ask about green building features and their impact on your energy bill. Do they have a warranty on construction? What makes them different from their competitors? Have them show you their floor plans and talk to them about your needs. They can share new trends in home designs and offer solutions you may not have thought about.

The first phase of the home search is about gathering information. A quality conversation a model home will tell you volumes about the whether this is the right builder for you.

UltraLight SHEETROCK Panels, a big win for consumers and builders.

2011-01-17T12:08:43-06:00

USG Corporation recently was awarded the Chicago Innovation Award for its UltraLight SHEETROCK panels. The new panels are up to 30% lighter than traditional panels with 95 percent made from recycled materials.

This is big news for builders and homeowners alike. The UltraLight panels reduce the labor and time required for installation and has a better strength-to-weight ratio than traditional panels. The result of the reduced weight has lead to increased productivity among contractors helping them better meet scheduled deadlines.

Sheetrock is a common feature in every home and probably overlooked when consumers think of ‘green home building’ features. However, new technology like the UltraLight SHEETROCK is helping today’s homebuilders construct better quality, more environmentally friendly homes.

Today’s Green Home

2011-01-12T17:01:08-06:00

Many homebuilders have moved to provide greener building materials to help reduce the overall cost of ownership. Oftentimes it is much more affordable to build a new home with these features than to retrofit an existing home. This is a neat tool that shows different aspects of the construction process that many homebuilders take into consideration when designing their homes.

Check out the Interactive Green House.

Energy Efficiency Windows a top pick for homebuilders.

2011-01-03T09:50:06-06:00

Housingzone.com recently conducted a survey on the most important features homebuilders consider when specifying windows. More and more homebuilders are recommending energy efficient or Low-E windows in their new homes. Energy efficiency ranked more important than price.

Most home builders offer high-performance, energy-efficient windows has a standard feature while others offer it as an upgraded feature. Builders and consumers alike are recognizing the value and long-term savings of incorporating energy efficient materials.

When shopping for a homebuilder, ask about which energy efficient features are standard and which are optional. This could save money in the purchase price as well as the total cost of ownership.

View what builders are saying about energy efficient windows here.

10 Great Gift Ideas for First Time Home Buyers

2010-12-20T11:14:14-06:00

Recently, I’ve had a tuff time picking out gift ideas for my wife. Last year when we moved into our new home it was easy. We needed so many items that we didn’t have from living in our apartment. Below is a list of the Top 10 gift ideas for First Time Home Buyers. Let me know what gifts you wish you had received, when you moved in to your first home.

Lawn Mower/Yard Tools
It didn’t even dawn on me until after my first week moved in, “I have a beautiful yard and need to maintain it!” I really love working in my yard but securing all of the tools was a big upfront cost. Lawn items like shovels, garden hoses and rakes are a great, useful gift ideas for Christmas.
Large Serving Platters/Dishes for Entertaining
I was never able to entertain large groups in my old apartment. With our new home we’ve been entertaining much more and having large dishes for party platters has been a real benefit.
Grill & Patio Furniture
Our house has a great outdoor living spaces for entertaining. When the weather is nice, we enjoy spending the evening outside grilling steaks. Most apartments won’t allow personal grills and this was at the top on my list when we moved.
Fire Extinguishers & First Aid Kits
Many new homes come with smoke detectors hard wired into the home, but it’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand. If you live in a two story home you might consider a safety ladder. Safety gifts like these are often overlooked until it’s too late.
Ladder
I never thought I’d use my ladder as often as I do. From tree trimming to Christmas Lights I find this is a great item for home owners. I remember putting on hold so many personal projects until I finally got a ladder.
Picture Frames & Hardware Kits
It’s your home, a place to build memories. Home purchases typically come with other life changing events and picture frames are a great way to capture those moments. A level, hammer and hardware kits are often great ideas that they’ll use for years.
Fireplace Screens & Pokers
Nothing makes a home feel cozier than a warm fire during the winter. My old apartment didn’t have a fireplace and I remember waiting for the temperature to drop before I could use the one in my new home.
Gift Cards
A new home is a blank canvas ready for home owners to add their personal touch. We spent months looking for new accessories and completing new rooms that we had never had before like our home office and guest room.
Ceiling Fans
These are a great addition to any room and help circulate the air and reduce heating and cooling cost. With so many styles they add a great personal touch to a home.
Welcome Mats
I remember when we first moved into our new home. We were so proud and a welcome mat was one of our first purchases. Our home is so much larger than our apartment and we have mats for the front and back patio doors. If the couple you’re shopping for is anything like my wife, we have a welcome mat for each holiday season.

What are some other great gift ideas for First Time Home Buyers? What did you wish you received?

Don’t make these home building mistakes!

2010-12-17T09:33:51-06:00

This is a great article about 7 points you should consider when planning your new home. Planning your new home is an emotionally charged major purchase that literally will affect how you live. Keeping these points in mind during the planning process will pay dividends in the future in terms of livability and resale.

Find a builder with Passion
Saving Money on your lot? Maybe not.
Create drama in your home with unique effects
Make your floor plan marketable. You may not live there forever.
Talk with an Interior Designer
Plan your need for outlets all year long.
It’s your home, don’t forget the “Wow Effect”

When planning your new home, think about the space and how you’ll use it year round. Will the patio allow for a grill, did you include exterior outlets for Christmas lights? Many homebuilders have plans that keep these seemingly minor points in perspective but it’s our home and should match your lifestyle.

View the whole artcile here: http://besthomedesign2010.com/the-7-mistakes-in-home-building/